Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Planned Parenthood supporters in Nebraska argue for abortion while claiming not to

Karen Amen and Penny Berger, two former Planned Parenthood leaders in Nebraska, have an editorial in which they argue for abortion while claiming not want to enter into the "choice" debate.

We recognize that spokeswomen for the anti-choice movement, such as Sandy Danek in her editorial in the May 19th Journal Star and Julie Schmit-Albin in her work in the Legislature to curb or destroy a woman's right to choose, are guided by their own ethical and religious beliefs. We recognize that in matters of the heart and faith, factual information and rational debate rarely will change opinions about reproductive health, sexuality, family planning, birth control and abortion. We acknowledge and respect Danek's right to hold dear her beliefs on these issues. We have no desire to persuade her otherwise.

Now that's an underhanded way of saying, "She's irrational, we're rational." It's also quite cowardly. Instead of pointing out how Danek's arguments were incorrect, Amen and Berger just cast them aside. Here's Danek's column. Notice the number of facts and statistics and the complete lack of religious arguments.

Danek uses her column to rant against the new Planned Parenthood facility in southeast Lincoln, focusing solely on abortion and using the term "business model" in an emotionally charged way. Even though we suspect she and her organization have their own business model, as must any organization that hopes to survive for the long term. Nonetheless, Danek uses the phrase to imply that Planned Parenthood provides abortions just to make money. To reiterate what others already have pointed out, abortions are approximately 3 percent of Planned Parenthood's income and work.

WRONG. Maybe Amen and Berger have been out of the game a while and don't understand that services and income doesn't necessarily equal each other.

But we write today not to enter the likewise emotionally charged debate surrounding the "choice" issue, although each of us has close friends who have faced the difficult choice of whether to continue or end a pregnancy.

So we're not going to argue about abortion but here's a reason we're in favor of legal abortion. Oh, and here are some more arguments in favor of abortion.

These friends made different decisions; each made the decision best in her circumstances.

And that, of course, is our point. We firmly believe every woman deserves the sacred right to choose when to become a mother and when to make a full commitment to being the best parent possible to her precious child. We do not wish to impose our dearly held belief upon people who have a different opinion; we ask the same respect from them.